Train crash kills 34 in Valencia

[Alan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5141542.stm

[Edith]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5141542.stm

What a terrible tragedy!

The first thing which went through my mind was: are there any people here in this forum who live in Valencia?

[gary]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5141542.stm

Its awful - and the system is only 30 years old...

[Brian]

What a terrible tragedy!

The first thing which went through my mind was: are there any people here in this forum who live in Valencia?

My mother-in-law and brother-and-law and his family live in Valencia. They were not near the crash today, thankfully.

[Edith]

My mother-in-law and brother-and-law and his family live in Valencia. They were not near the crash today, thankfully.

Thank goodness! :)

[kyle]

I'm hearing in the radio right now there are 41 victims... :(

[greytop]

Links to today's LasProvincias, Valencian based paper (Spanish)
http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/edicion/
http://especiales.lasprovincias.es/2006/accidente-valencia/index.html

34 dead, 47 injured of whom 12 still in hospital.
3 days of mourning declared
Initial blame put on speed and possible wheel failure.

[ValenciaSon]

I heard that the conductor ran the train at twice the speed than what either the train and/or the tracks were spec'd out for. Surviving passengers commented that the train's speed seemed unusually high. The speed was supposed to be at 40 KPH but he was clocked at 80. I don't know more particulars or if something critical was overlooked, to account for this travesty.

[Brian]

I heard that the conductor ran the train at twice the speed than what either the train and/or the tracks were spec'd out for. Surviving passengers commented that the train's speed seemed unusually high. The speed was supposed to be at 40 KPH but he was clocked at 80. I don't know more particulars or if something critical was overlooked, to account for this travesty.

Radio Nacional de España was reporting this morning that they thought that the conductor had lost conciousness, perhaps fainted or a heart attack, right before the crash.

[greytop]

Radio Nacional de España was reporting this morning that they thought that the conductor had lost conciousness, perhaps fainted or a heart attack, right before the crash.
Las Provincias (links below) have had extensive cover over the last couple of days. This morning they report that the body of the driver was too badly damaged to ascertain whether or not he had some form of attack.
They say (from the black box recorder) that the brakes were applied manually 3 secs before the impact and then automatically when the first carriage derailed.
Even here, 100km south of Valencia city, people are saddened by this tragedy. There will be a special service for the relatives in Valencia´s chapel of la Virgen de Las Desamparados attended by the Pope at the weekend and he will also go to the station where the accident happened.

LA INVESTIGACION

Dos sistemas de freno se activaron antes del horror (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/pg060706/prensa/noticias/Tema_Dia/200607/06/VAL-TMD-004.html)
http://www.lasprovincias.es/SysConfig/Images/middot.gifLas lesiones del conductor impiden saber a los forenses si se desmayó (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/pg060706/prensa/noticias/Tema_Dia/200607/06/VAL-TMD-000.html)
http://www.lasprovincias.es/SysConfig/Images/middot.gifLos técnicos harán más pruebas al convoy (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/pg060706/prensa/noticias/Tema_Dia/200607/06/VAL-SUB-001.html)
http://www.lasprovincias.es/SysConfig/Images/las_provincias/middot.gifEl maquinista iba a dejar el trabajo este mes tras aprobar una oposición (http://www.lasprovincias.es/valencia/pg060706/prensa/noticias/Tema_Dia/200607/06/VAL-SUB-005.html)
http://www.lasprovincias.es/SysConfig/Images/middot.gifAccidente suburbano en Valencia (ESPECIAL) (http://especiales.lasprovincias.es/2006/accidente-valencia/index.html)

[intrepida1981]

What a terrible tragedy!

The first thing which went through my mind was: are there any people here in this forum who live in Valencia?

Hi, I’m living actually near Jesús station, where the Pope stopped briefly today from his official visit to Valencia. Past Monday I was at my home, I was just preparing myself to go to an exam I had at 4 p.m. and I thought I just wanted to go to it by riding this train at Jesus station!! At around one p.m my father and me just heard a lot of alarm soundings by the firemen and ambulances, but we had the tv off so we thought that something could have happened. I turned on the tv and found a local tv and I just watched the news of the crash and I found myself :eek: :eek: :eek: It was supposed I had to ride this train at 3 p.m.!! Not this train exactly but yeah, at this station. So I was very nervous and frightened because not only about the exam but else because of this huge scare. Even some of my friends who knew I lived near there called me by phone, as well as some of our relatives and friends from around the country. :(

[Brian]

Hi, I’m living actually near Jesús station, where the Pope stopped briefly today from his official visit to Valencia. Past Monday I was at my home, I was just preparing myself to go to an exam I had at 4 p.m. and I thought I just wanted to go to it by riding this train at Jesus station!! At around one p.m my father and me just heard a lot of alarm soundings by the firemen and ambulances, but we had the tv off so we thought that something could have happened. I turned on the tv and found a local tv and I just watched the news of the crash and I found myself :eek: :eek: :eek: It was supposed I had to ride this train at 3 p.m.!! Not this train exactly but yeah, at this station. So I was very nervous and frightened because not only about the exam but else because of this huge scare. Even some of my friends who knew I lived near there called me by phone, as well as some of our relatives and friends from around the country. :(

I'm very, very glad that you and your family are ok. Our thoughts continue to go out to those who were hurt, and to the families of those who passed away in the crash.

[intrepida1981]

I'm very, very glad that you and your family are ok. Our thoughts continue to go out to those who were hurt, and to the families of those who passed away in the crash.

Thank you, and ditto I say. :(

I also want to add that the train who crashed was of very poor quality, and here there are many people who are strongly angry with authorities, specially these days, when the city council prefer to squander our money celebrating the arrival of the Pope instead of repairing and maintenaing the trains, because they don’t have to ride them of course.

Always the same!! :mad: :mad: :thumbs-down:

[Brian]

Thank you, and ditto I say. :(

I also want to add that the train who crashed was of very poor quality, and here there are many people who are strongly angry with authorities, specially these days, when the city council prefer to squander our money celebrating the arrival of the Pope instead of repairing and maintenaing the trains, because they don’t have to ride them of course.

Always the same!! :mad: :mad: :thumbs-down:

Ouch. Have they been able to tell anything about the driver's condition yet, whether he was conscious or not during the crash?

I also read this morning that the crash has spurred other investigations into Valencia's trains. One report (http://www.elpais.es/articulo/Comunidad/Valenciana/linea/gestiona/Ferrocarrils/Denia/Alicante/carece/sistemas/frenado/automatico/elpepiautval/20060708elpval_3/Tes/)tells that the line between Denia and Alicante lacks emergency brakes. Perhaps a little public outcry will force a little more responsibility in spending public funds.

[ValenciaSon]

Thank you, and ditto I say. :(

I also want to add that the train who crashed was of very poor quality, and here there are many people who are strongly angry with authorities, specially these days, when the city council prefer to squander our money celebrating the arrival of the Pope instead of repairing and maintenaing the trains, because they don’t have to ride them of course.

Always the same!! :mad: :mad: :thumbs-down:
That's awful, intrepida. I hope it gets resolved. If you contact a diputado or some sort of legislator, you might add that as valencia nears the day where it is on the world's stage (Americas' Cup) a situation like this could have long term repercussions on Valencia as a potential business center to the world. The time to avoid a repeat of that catastrophe is now. Highlighting the travesty of the train crash might not be sufficient to attain resolution. Couching it in business terms seems to motivate politicians more.

Good luck

[Brian]

Couching it in business terms seems to motivate politicians more.


As my wife says,

"Las cosas del Palacio van despacio."

It's very sad that a tragedy is what is required to bring attention to safety standards.

[intrepida1981]

It's very sad that a tragedy is what is required to bring attention to safety standards.


I ripped out this from a post in another forum:

De todas formas lo peor es que el metro estaba de huelga porque se quejaban de falta de seguridad en los tuneles y en las octabillas que repartian literalmente pone "....... que hace falta un accidente para que nos escuchen..." :mad: :mad: